To whom hope has deceived ... Death comes suddenly... By Shaykh Maher

[Abu Thar Jawad]

To whom hope has deceived Wake up from negligence as Death comes suddenly and the grave is the container of actions.


O mankind! Fear Allah your Lord and beware of the negligence of a serious, frightening matter that all are expecting and it is coming soon rather than in a long time.

Neither the rich or the poor, the old or the young, the king or the minister will escape it no matter how cautious they are.
That which you run away from indeed it will meet you, and verily you are running to it, and it is ahead of you, not behind you. And if there was anyone able to save himself from it, it would have been the messenger of Allah salla Allahu 'aleyhi wa salam the best of mankind, and the most beloved to Allah. Then would have saved themselves Abu Bakr and Umar and whomever preceded or followed from mankind.

So when it comes down on you nothing can push it away, no wealth, no sultan, no doctor either if he is very wise and proficient. You will seperate from your loved ones and friends. And the man or woman will be wrapped in a coffin, then carried by men on their neck then layed on your comfortable pellowed bed: the dirt.

Turning to be such and such of such reputation is now in there his body being eaten by the worms and his beauty going away.
Then he is rewarded with whatever he brought forth on this perishing life, either a severe punishment or a mercy from The Lord of the worlds.
It is death. Death that cuts off pleasures and seperates groups and comes with agony, and whomever was given a chance to repent before it then he saved himself from the punishment of the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and if he was desobedient but upon tawheed then he is under the will of Allah.

Sudden death has spreaded, you must wake up O servant of Allah, as it comes suddenly and the grave is the container of actions.
Tabarani has reported in the Awssat from Anas may Allah be pleased with him that the messenger of Allah salla Allahu alayhi wa salam said: "Among the signs that the Last Hour is near, is that the crescent would appear larger than its actual size and people would say: 'it appears as if it is only two days old', and the mosques will be taken as streets, and sudden death will spread."
Then the awful, tragic, shuddering death. As narrated Ibn Khuzayma from Abi Huraira may Allah be pleased with them that the prophet salla Allahu 'alayhi wa salam said: the death of shuddering.

Allah The Exalted says: And the intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid. And the Horn will be blown. That is the Day of [carrying out] the threat. And every soul will come, with it a driver and a witness. [It will be said], "You were certainly in unmindfulness of this, and We have removed from you your cover, so your sight, this Day, is sharp."

And Allah The Exalted also says: Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.

And Allah The Almighty says: Say, "Indeed, the death from which you flee - indeed, it will meet you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you about what you used to do."
And He The Exalted says: Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction.

Just like the prophet salla Allahu 'alayhi wa salam lived a number of years and he sala Allahu 'aleyhi wa salam is the nearest to Allah the Lord of the worlds, he sala Allahu 'aleyhi wa salam passed away at the age of 63, and he sala Allahu 'aleyhi wa salam was not from the immortals.

So O children of Adam, live as you wish knowing that you are dying, love whom you wish knowing that you are going to split from them and gather with whom you wish knowing that you are leaving them.

Aisha may Allah be pleased with her narrated in sahih al Bukhari: It was one of the favors of Allah towards me that Allah's Apostle expired in my house on the day of my turn while he was leaning against my chest and Allah made my saliva mix with his saliva at his death. 'Abdur-Rahman entered upon me with a Siwak in his hand and I was supporting (the back of) Allah's Apostle (against my chest ). I saw the Prophet looking at it (i.e. Siwak) and I knew that he loved the Siwak, so I said ( to him ), "Shall I take it for you ? " He nodded in agreement. So I took it and it was too stiff for him to use, so I said, "Shall I soften it for you ?" He nodded his approval. So I softened it and he cleaned his teeth with it. In front of him there was a jug or a tin, (The sub-narrator, 'Umar is in doubt as to which was right) containing water. He started dipping his hand in the water and rubbing his face with it, he said, "None has the right to be worshipped except Allah. Death has its agonies." He then lifted his hands (towards the sky) and started saying, "With the highest companion," till he expired and his hand dropped down. Volume 5, Book 59, Number 730.

Who is saved after the prophet sala Allahu 'aleyhi wa salam who prefered the hereafter over the worldly life. Then his nations after him were of the ages of sixty to seventy, very few reach or live longer.
Al-Tirmidi reported in his collection from Abu Hurayrah that the prophet salla Allahu 'alayhi wa salam said: "My people live from sixty to seventy years, and very few live longer." classified hassan gharib.

Rush Servants of Allah to sincere repentance and hard work and returning the rights to whom it belongs before the soul turns and it would reach the throat and gargle, then no repentance would be accepted.
We would rush to the funeral carrying the deceased on men shoulders taking it to the grave and there will be regrets.

Death my friend do not make the difference between the healthy and the sick nor the young and the old.

How many healthy ones died without a reason and how many ill ones lived a long time.
How many young men seen the morning while laughing and then were enveloped in the graveclothes in the evening.

As it was reported by Tirmidi in his collection from Ibn Umar radia Allahu 'anhuma that the prophet salla Allahu 'aleyhi wa salam said: "Allah, the Lord of honour and glory, will accept the repentance of His servant till his death-rattle begins."
Abu Issa said: this hadith is hassan gharib

O you whom busied yourself with your worldly affairs and the long lasting hopes have deceived you, death comes suddenly and the grave is the container of actions.
Each one male or female even if their safety has lasted will be carried to it.

Imam Ahmed narrated in his musnad that Abu Huraira said "I heard the prophet salla Allahu 'aleyhi wa salam saying""if the servant or the rightous man is put in his coffin he says take me ahead take me ahead and if the bad man is put in he says woe to you where are you taking me.

The translator: and in sahih al bukhari 2-462: "When the coffin is ready (for its burial) and people lift it on their shoulders, then if the deceased is a righteous person he says, 'Take me ahead,' if he is not a righteous one, then he says, 'Woe to it (me)! Where are you taking it (me)!' And his voice is audible to everything except human beings; if they heard it they would fall down unconscious."

Let the intelligent man change before his death or before the story of his life ends and straighten all his ways upon tawhid and acting upon the sunnah.
That includes taking the knowledge from the people of knowledge from amongst the people of hadith and tawhid and then act upon it as that is a path to firmness until death.

Allah The Exalted says: "But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and a firmer position [for them in faith]." (4-66)

Ibn Sirin said: "This knowledge is a matter of deen, so be careful who you take your deen from."
So whomever took their religion from an innovator, he has raised his religion on his innovation and he deviated from the path to paradise.

And the man is upon the religion of his friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends as it has come in the hadith.
The man will say to the close bad friend the day of resurrection, meaning the one that leaded him to misguidance away from guidance.
"Until, when he comes to Us [at Judgement], he says [to his companion], "Oh, I wish there was between me and you the distance between the east and west - how wretched a companion." And never will it benefit you that Day, when you have wronged, that you are [all] sharing in the punishment.

Supplicate to your Lord with hope and fear as the prophet sala Allahu 'aleyhi wa salam use to do by saying: "O Turner of the hearts, make my heart firm in Your deen."
And He salla Allahu 'alayhi wa salam used to also say: “O Allah, set right for me my religion which is the safeguard of my affairs. And set right for me the affairs of my world wherein is my living. And set right for me my Hereafter to which is my return. And make the life for me (a source) of abundance for every good and make my death a source of comfort for me protecting me against every evil.”

O servant of Allah beware of oppression as the prophet sala Allahu 'aleyhi wa salam informed us in sahih Muslim "O My slaves, I have forbidden myself oppression and I have made it between you forbidden, so do not oppress one another."
"Do not envy one another, and do not inflate prices for one another, and do not hate one another, and do not turn away from one another, and do not undercut one another in trade, but rather be slaves of Allah and brothers amongst yourselves." Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Huraira.

And beware of arrogance which is refusing the truth when it is established to you. And it is a heavy atom in the heart that prevents from entering paradise as the prophet sala Allahu 'alayhi wa salam informed us from ‘Abdullaah Ibn Mas‘ud who related that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa salam) said: “Whoever has an atom worth of kibr (pride or arrogance) in his heart will not enter Paradise.” So a man asked: “What about a person who loves (i.e. takes pride in) wearing beautiful clothes and beautiful shoes?” So he replied: “Indeed Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Kibr (pride) is to reject the truth, and to despise the people.” Reported by Muslim

And be in your prayers humbly submitted with your tongues in accordance following your prophet salla Allahu 'alayhi wa salam. Have your private parts guarded. And be responsible of what you right hands possess. Also remember Allah The Lord of the worlds in abundance supplicating to Him morning and evening and do not be from the negligent.
As Mu'adh Ibn Jabal said "A human being cannot do anything that is more effective in saving him from the punishment of the grave than the dhikr or remembrance of Allah." reported by Tabarani; in another narration reported As "A servant of Allah cannot do anything that is more effective in saving him from the punishment of the grave than the dhikr or remembrance of Allah." Malik in his Muwatta', Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim, and al-Dhahabi.
Also fast your days and stand before Allah in prayer at night and purify your hearts from evil and prepare to the journey to your Lord.

This life is a temporary home and the hereafter is the stable one, therefore take your provisions from this temporary one for your stable one, and qualify for the day you will face your Lord. For today there is action with no account and tomorrow there's account with no action.

Verily the dunya is coming to an end, and the akhirah is coming to a beginning and they both have children. So be children of the akhirah and don't be children of the dunya.
And beware of hoping as it holds you off from repentance, and beware of passions as it will hold you from the truth.

And be pleased with the decrees of The Lord of the worlds and be patient with knowledge and seeking it and sharing it and with the fear of Allah for which you will be asked about, and fear Allah in the wombs do not cut it off and the highest womb is the mother.

Be ready for the day of accounts and answers when only Allah will be asking Himself without any interpreters even the esteemed angels, and your skin, your feet, your hands will witness and speak of you about what you use to do.
Therefore let your actions be in accordance after tawhid and singling out Allah in worship and knowing (by reviewing and verifying) the meaning of La Ilaha ila Allah with sincerity, fear and hope, magnifying and love The Lord of the worlds.

Written by Shaykh Abu Abdellah Maher Bin Dhafer Al-Qahtani
Translated by Abu Maryam Jaouad Al-Maghrebi